Meet The Curators – Paloma Shutes

About : Paloma Shutes is Photography Editor of The California Sunday Magazine. Previously, she worked in the photo departments at Wired and GQ, where she commissioned photography recognized by the Society of Publication Designers and American Photography.

For our annual issue of Aint–Bad Magazine, we have teamed up with an amazing selection of curators, editors, gallerists, educators, and publishers to offer a chance to have your work seen by some of the best names in the industry. All of our guest curators have trained eyes and know what they are looking for in a photograph. The goal of issue No.13 is to put your work directly in front of eyes of these curators. Will Glaser recently had the chance to ask Paloma Shutes a few questions concerning photography and her thoughts on the medium. Learn more about what motivates Paloma Shutes and what she is thinking about today!

William Glaser: As a photo editor for The California Sunday Magazine, how do you find new photographers?

Paloma Shutes: I look for photographers everywhere. There isn’t just one resource or one platform where I find them. My sources include galleries, museums, book fairs, photo blogs, photographer promos, photo reviews, recommendations from other photographers and editors, Instagram, and individual photographers’ websites. We’re committed to finding diverse contributors, in all senses of diversity. I’m interested in working with both emerging and established photographers. Above all else, I am inspired to work with image-makers who have a unique voice and point of view, previous publication experience aside.

WG: How do you suggest photographers get in touch with a magazine/publication they greatly admire?

PS: My advice is to research the editor(s) and the company before reaching out. Usually there is an email address or submission form online for pitches and introductions. When there isn’t, reach out to your network and ask someone to share contact information. It’s important to have a sense of why a certain story or set of images might resonate with the publication before pitching and presenting it to the editor. Sending a tailored sample of work and a personalized note is much more effective than sending a mass mailer. I don’t recommend sending large attachments or asking editors to download large files. Personally, Iprefer emails in lieu of hard-copy mailers, though this preference varies by editor. (When physical mailers are more appropriate, please go eco-friendly!) I do not accept pitches via my personal Instagram, Facebook, or twitter. And I always greatly appreciate when notes are courteous and professional.

WG: Many photographers (in the beginning) imitate their idols and/or make photographs that are derivative of what they see in popular magazines, galleries, etc. How does one break past that? How does one start making images that are truly their own?

PS: Researching and looking at existing work is an important part of being an informed contemporary photographer. I think that paying homage to a certain tradition of image-making can be really productive and inspiring—the challenge is to make it your own. My best advice is to find a project or subject matter that you’re deeply passionate about and to really spend time photographing it (not just a few days or a few weeks). The best way to develop your own voice is to spend a lot of time making pictures and to set aside dedicated time to edit the work, seeing what works and what doesn’t. When you’re ready, bring in a few trusted photographers or editors to review the project and give you constructive feedback. Repeat.

WG: What makes a great photograph? Furthermore, what destroys the ‘potential’ of a photograph?

PS: There are so many different elements that can make a photo great. It’s a case-by-case evaluation. There are photos that are great because they are representative of an era or an important historical moment in time. Some are great because they are inspiring, meditative, surprising, and/or humbling. Photos that are great provide me with a new perspective. The context of when the work was made, who made it, and under what circumstances are also really important. It matters!

ISSUE NO.13 – CALL FOR ENTRY

For our annual issue of Aint–Bad Magazine, we have teamed up with an amazing selection of curators, editors, gallerists, educators, and publishers to offer a chance to have your work seen by some of the best names in the industry. All of our guest curators have trained eyes and know what they are looking for in a photograph. The goal of issue No.13 is to put your work directly in front of eyes of these curators.

While there is no specific theme for this call for entry, we are asking to see your best work! Take a look at the list of curators working with us on this publication. Look into their practice, see what they like. Take a look at the Aint–Bad Archives to get a sense of the imagery that we have been publishing over the last few years both online and in print. Does your work have what it takes to be selected as a printed artist in issue No. 13? Show us! Submit today! This call for entry will end on August 10th, so while you are enjoying this hot summer weather, be sure to dig through your hard drives and select work that will impress the curators, and the world!

Each curator will select two photographers from the submissions to feature and interview for the printed publication. Fifteen curators. Thirty photographers. This issue is collaboration at it’s finest. The final result will be a beautiful, hand-curated issue of the best contemporary photography in existence today. In addition to all of the above, we hope to partner with the curators further to exhibit work from the issue in various galleries and institutions around the world.

Please let us know if you have any questions. First, take a look at our FAQs at the bottom of this page.

Submission Deadline
August 10th, 2018

Meet the Curators

About : Anna Walker Skillman has been a loyal and active participant in the arts community for the last 26 years, and has owned and directed Jackson Fine Art since 2003. Exhibiting photography by both emerging and established artists, she continues her commitment to the arts in Atlanta and beyond.

About : Kris Graves (b. 1982 New York, NY) is a photographer and publisher based in New York and London. He received his BFA in Visual Arts from S.U.N.Y. Purchase College and has been published and exhibited globally. KGP collaborates with artists to create limited edition publications and archival prints.

Rachel Reese
Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary ArtTelfair Museums

Savannah, Georgia

About : Rachel Reese is Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Telfair Museums in Savannah, GA where she organizes temporary exhibitions and stewards the growing permanent collection of contemporary art.

About : Michael Itkoff is an artist and Cofounder of Fabl and Daylight Books and has been deeply involved in the publishing industry for over fifteen years. Michael’s monograph,‘Street Portraits’, was published by Charta Editions in 2009.

About : Jennifer Murray is an artist, educator, and curator based in Chicago. She is the Executive Director of Filter Photo, a nonprofit festival, exhibition, and educational space. She teaches at Loyola University Chicago and is an independent artists’ consultant.

About : Susan Laney is the director of Laney Contemporary Fine Art and manager of the Jack Leigh estate. The gallery specializes in photography and contemporary art with a focus on the South. She is currently co-curating an Elaine Mayes exhibition to open in Fall, 2018 at the SCAD Museum of Art.

About : Alan is the founder of The Do Good Fund, a Georgia-based nonprofit focused on buiding and exhibiting a collection of contemporary photography from the American South. Alan is past chair of the boards of The Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, GA, and The Columbus Musuem, Columbus, GA.

About : Small Talk is a photography collective comprised of seven women: Audra Osborne, Briana Cerezo, Jennifer Timmer Trail, Kelli Pennington, Kristina Hruska, Leslie Hickey, and Marico Fayre. As a group, we explore the nature of what it means to be a visual storyteller, pool resources, provide support and critique, and facilitate community events and discussions. We engage in the best kind of “small talk,” that which binds us together both as a collective and within a larger community of women and minority artists, fostering stronger work and collaboration. Our first book, We’re Always Touching by Underground Wires, was published in April 2018.

About : Zemie Barr is the Exhibitions Manager at Blue Sky Gallery and co-director of Wolff Gallery in Portland, Oregon. She gravitates towards surreal imagery and personal narrative, as well as conceptual, experimental, and interdisciplinary approaches to the photographic medium.

About : Jack Harries is an independent curator and publisher based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder and editor of Heavy, an online platform and print journal dedicated to the discussion and promotion of contemporary photography.

About : Paloma Shutes is Photography Editor of The California Sunday Magazine. Previously, she worked in the photo departments at Wired and GQ, where she commissioned photography recognized by the Society of Publication Designers and American Photography.

Robert Lyons
International Limited Residency MFA Photography Program Hartford Art SchoolUniversity of Hartford

Portland, Oregon

About : Robert Lyons lives in Portland, Oregon. He has taught extensively in the USA and Europe at various institutions including: Emily Carr College of Art & Design, Photographic Center Northwest, International Center of Photography, and the Ostkreuzschule in Berlin. He received an M.F.A. from Yale University in 1979. Lyons has received numerous awards for his work including: NEA Survey Grant, Ford Foundation Grants, and a MacDowell Residency. His work has been widely exhibited in the United States and Europe and is represented in numerous permanent collections including: The Metropolitan Museum, Seattle Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery, Portland Art Museum, Hallmark Collection of Photography, Nelson–Atkins Museum, and Beth Hatefutsoth Museum of the Diaspora, Tel Aviv, Israel.

About : Amy Elkins is a photographer and the co-founder/co-curator of the website Women In Photography. Her work has been exhibited and published nationally and internationally including The High Museum in Atlanta, GA; Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Austria; and The North Carolina Museum of Art among others.

About : Sasha Wolf Projects represents emerging and mid-career, fine art photographers. Additionally, Sasha works with a larger group of artists on career guidance, book development and production and other professional practices. Sasha’s area of interest is straight photography and process work..

FAQ :

How much does it cost to submit?
You can submit up to twenty photographs for $25.

Why is there a fee to submit to this call?
We are asking each photographer to pay a submission fee in order to help with the costs of printing this publication. Printing aint cheap! Aint–Bad strives to use the best materials available to create a publication that is a work of art in itself. All funds collected from submission fees will be used to produce this issue of Aint–Bad Magazine.

Can I submit more than one project?
Yes! However, each submission fee is valid for ONE body of work. We want to see your strongest body of work. If you feel that you need to submit a second body of work, you may do so by paying another submission fee and submitting a different project.

When will I be notified if I am selected for this issue?
All selected artists will be notified by mid-August. Photographers that are chosen for this issue will be required to answer interview questions from the guest curators.

What happens if I am not chosen for print?
If you are not selected by our guest curators for print, your work will be passed to the Aint–Bad Editors, and will have an opportunity to be published on our website as an article or interview. You will be notified via email if your work is chosen for an online feature.

Can I submit a collaborative project?
Yes, you can submit a project that has been created by yourself and other artists. Please submit under the name that you would like to appear in print if you are selected.